Now if that isn’t enough to convince you, here are three more reasons that hopefully will:

1. It’s free and only takes a minute

You don’t have to buy anything, simply claim your custom username and a minute later it’s done!

2. It’s easier to remember

Well this is pretty obvious. A short and meaningful username is much more memorable than a bunch of numbers. Also your custom username will fit on a business card or could easily be displayed in a video or image. It would also look more professional.

On the other hand, if you use the default Facebook URL, it would probably discourage most people from typing all those numbers just to get to your page or profile. Therefore it is really important to make it as simple as possible for your clients or fans to reach your page.

3. Secure your brand and/or your name

Often it happens that someone will claim lots of usernames, perhaps including yours, in the hopes of selling them for money. This is called “name squatting” or “cybersquatting”. Although Facebook has strict rules to prevent this type of issue, it can still happen occasionally. So why risk it? Better be safe than sorry!

There is also the fact that it is very likely that out of the 750 million Facebook users at least a few have the exact same name as you. Facebook’s policy in this matter can be summed up as “first come, first served”. So hurry up!

Alright, you convinced me! How do I register my custom username?

Well it’s simple. Just go to: http://facebook.com/username and reserve the username you have picked. It’s a pretty straightforward process so all you have to do is follow the instructions provided by Facebook.

Remember, custom URLs on Facebook can only contain alphanumeric characters (A-Z, 0-9) or a period. No space or special characters allowed.

It is also worth noting that not only pages can get custom URLs, but also individual profiles. As an additional benefit for profiles with custom usernames, Facebook offers custom email addresses.

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